Elon vs. WVU Box Score

Elon vs. Wright State Box Score

ELON, N.C. -- On day two of the Elon Invitational, the host Elon Phoenix saw its bats come alive as the squad pounded out 24 hits and scored 23 runs while picking up victories over both West Virginia and Wright State on Saturday.  In its first game of the day, Elon knocked off the Mountaineers 17-1 before dropping the Raiders 6-2 in the finale.

With the wins, Elon has now won 400 games as a NCAA Division I member.  Since 2000, the program's first at the Division I level, Elon has a record of 400-262-2 and has the fourth-most wins of any Division I program in the state of North Carolina.

Elon (7-4) jumped on top of WVU (3-6) in the bottom of the first inning when Jake Luce and Cyle Rasmus began the frame with back-to-back doubles down the left field line.  After Rasmus moved to third on a passed ball, Alex Swim lined a single to left to plate the second run of the at bat.

The Phoenix tacked on a couple more runs in the third inning to build a 4-0 lead.  Grant McCoury drew a lead-off walk and went to second when Neal Pritchard's ground ball to third was misplayed.  With runners on second and third following a sacrifice bunt, Niko Fraser sent a ball deep to left for a sac fly that plated McCoury.  Seth Canipe's single to center drove home the next run as Pritchard raced home from second.

With one down in the bottom of the fifth, McCoury drew a walk and then rode home on Pritchard's bomb off the scoreboard in left-center, his first of the year, which gave Elon a 6-0 edge.  The blast also ended a six-game homerless streak for the Phoenix, the longest such streak for the team since going without a home run in seven consecutive games in 2006.

Elon kept the attack going in the sixth and scored three more times to gain a 9-0 lead.  The Phoenix scored one on a bases-loaded walk to McCoury before Pritchard drove home two more with a single to center.

With two on and two away in the bottom of the seventh, Rasmus crushed a 1-1 pitch over the wall in left-center for a three-run homer, his second of the year, as the Phoenix extended its lead to 12-0.  Elon then loaded the bases with three straight singles from Swim, Ben Scott and Pritchard before Ryan Kinsella drew a walk to force in the 13th Phoenix run of the contest.  Pinch-hitter Matt Kirchner picked up a RBI when he was plunked to force home Scott ahead of a Canipe double into the right field corner which cleared the bases to make it a 17-0 game.

The Mountaineers managed to avoid the shutout by scoring once in the eighth.

Elon starter Ken Ferrer (1-0) was the winning pitcher, claiming his 23rd career victory to move into a tie for fifth place on the program's career chart.  He allowed just one run on five hits in 7.1 innings of work.

West Virginia's Harrison Musgrave took the loss after giving up six runs (four earned) on six hits in five frames.

Three different Elon players posted four-RBI performances in the first game of the day – Rasmus (3-for-5, three runs), Pritchard (3-for-5, three runs) and Canipe (2-for-4).

Two of WVU's five hits came off the bat of Matt Malloy.

In the final game of the day, Wright State (4-6) took an early 1-0 lead on the Phoenix thanks to back-to-back two-out doubles from Jake Hibberd and Kody Krizman.

Elon immediately answered in the bottom of the first.  Luce started the game with a double down the left field line and then stole third before scoring on a Swim infield single with one out.  A Raider error allowed McCoury to reach before Pritchard was hit by a pitch to fill the bases with Phoenix runners.  Canipe gave Elon a 2-1 lead with a sacrifice fly to left-center as Swim scored.  Fraser added one more to the Phoenix's total when he laced a single to center to drive home McCoury to make it a 3-1 game.

With the Phoenix still holding a 3-1 lead in the top of the seventh, Corey Davis snapped a span of 12 consecutive Raider hitters retired by Jared Kernodle with a single to center.  Sam Picchiotti followed with another single before the inning closed with a fielder's choice off the bat of Justin Kopale.

Luce gave Elon a 4-1 edge by belting a 2-2 pitch over the wall in right for a solo homer, his first of the year, in the bottom of the seventh.  Rasmus followed with a single and moved to second when Swim drew a walk.  Wright State's second error of the night allowed McCoury to reach, Rasmus to score and Swim to end up on third.

After Pritchard walked to begin the Elon eighth, Canipe ripped a ball into the left field corner for a RBI double as the Phoenix built a 6-1 advantage.

Wright State added one in the ninth on a sacrifice fly that made it 6-2. 

Picking up the win after surrendering one run on six hits in seven innings was Kernodle (2-1).  Kernodle struck out four.

Cody Kopilchack (0-2) took the loss after he was charged with three runs (one earned) on six hits in six innings of work.

In game two, Elon's offense was led by Luce who ended the game 3-for-4 with two runs and a RBI while Canipe drove in two with a 1-for-3 performance.

Wright State saw Hibberd go 2-for-4 with a run scored.

In the first game of the day, West Virginia topped Temple 12-1.

The final day of the 2011 Elon Invitational will be held on Sunday.  Wright State and West Virginia are slated to meet at 10 a.m. followed by the Phoenix hosting Temple at 2 p.m.